Renewable Fuel Standard requirements on par with 2017

The total renewable fuel volume is 19.29 billion gallons, which includes 15 billion gallons for conventional biofuel. The biomass-based biodiesel amount remains at 2.1 billion gallons.

The announcement of final 2018 renewable fuels volumes brought a mixed reaction in Iowa on Thursday.

"Not only has EPA hit the mark with the 15 billion-gallon implied target, but EPA has also improved on the proposed rule by correctly growing the total 2018 volume from the 2017 level as intended in the RFS", said North Dakota farmer Kevin Skunes, president of the National Corn Growers Association, in a media statement.

Under the Clean Air Act, the EPA must set the renewable RFS volume requirements - called the Renewable Volume Obligations (RVO) - each year and finalize those standards by November 30 for the following year, EPA stated.

"We are pleased that the final rule maintains the statutory 15-billion-gallon requirement for conventional renewable fuels like corn ethanol", Dinneen said. "We would like to have seen a boost to the target blending levels for cellulosic biofuels, and we will continue to work with the administration to advance the RFS goal of further stimulating growth and showing USA leadership in 21st century fuels".

"As far as the advanced biofuels, a little disappointed".

The EPA largely maintains the status quo in setting final quotas for how much refiners must blend into gasoline and diesel, but draws only tepid approval from Iowa corn farmers and politicians who say the agency is "discouraging investment and discouraging growth" by keeping biodiesel volumes flat.

He says they'll weigh in with the EPA and Congress on the need to increase those levels for 2020.

Grassley, Ernst, King, Young, and Loebsack all ended their statements with an emphasis on their continued commitment to advocating for and defending the Renewable Fuel Standard and the USA biofuel industry. He also contemplated counting exports of ethanol toward meeting the RFS mandate.

American Coalition for Ethanol CEO Brian Jennings says the advanced biofuel volume of 4.29 billion gallons "represents a modest step in the right direction for the RFS" to "reassure retailers that it makes sense to offer E15 and flex fuels".

"We will work with the Administration and EPA going forward to restore biofuel targets that will spur innovation in rural communities", Broin said.

"The RFS remains America's single most successful energy policy and continually works to save consumers money, protect the environment, drive rural growth, and secure USA energy independence". We firmly believe the United States industry is fully capable of delivering increasing volumes of biomass-based diesel to meet a growing RVO as Congress intended when it created the RFS.

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